Changing Times
by Andr? T?chin?
List Price:
Our Price: $26.99
You Save: $2.99 (10%)
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Buy Used: from $3.79 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD releases
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
DVD Cover Information
Actor: Catherine Deneuve, G?rard Depardieu, Gilbert Melki, Lubna Azabal, Malik ZidiDirector: Andr? T?chin?
Brand: Koch International
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: French (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; English (Subtitled)
Format: Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.66:1
Running Time: 100 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-10-03
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Koch Lorber Films
Movie Reviews of Changing Times
Movie Review: Changing Times - Unexpected And Beautiful
Summary: 4 Stars
Changing Times is in many ways a very unique take on traditional themes of love and drama. Gerard Depardieu is as stoic and effective as always, and Catherine Deneuve is used well if not to her fullest potential. And while we do not get to see how they were with each other in their younger lives, the film centers on them reuniting later in life through the effort of Depardieu. All of this is set to the backdrop of Tunisia in Northern Africa. Though the characters have each been changed by the different paths they have chosen in life, they are in some critical ways unchanged by their surroundings or time.
The one thing that is so amazing about this film is the way that the filmmaker mixes traditional sequences with artistic expressions of each character's point of view. It is subtle, but it adds a technical element to a very satisfying film.
The Story and the Script
Depardieu's character is an architect who has taken a project in northern Africa to be closer to his long lost love, Deneuve. Deneuve is since married to an Arab doctor and struggles to keep her distance from her old flame. While the premise is simple, the emotional depth of the writing and portrayals adds reality and a unique perspective to the story.
Added to the complexities of the romantic relationship are the various inter-relationships with children, friends, relatives and others. The dynamic of French norms against the backdrop of Tunisia also adds some strong story elements and imagery.
The screenwriting seems to have been characterized by quick yet short bursts of mostly casual dialogue. So much of the power of the film is what is communicated non-verbally. The plot of the story seems logically followed and effective.
Obviously the spoken language of the movie is French, and the dialogue is delivered in a quick and clean style. The only real negative that can be pointed out are subtitles that are often oversimplified and do not relay the full depth and meaning of several conversations. This is one foreign film where speaking at least a little bit of the native tongue goes a long way towards appreciating the movie.
The conclusions of the various plot elements is a mixed bag of both predictable and surprising results. What matters most is that it does come across as genuine and believable. Yet the resolutions of the various sub-plots aren't all handled cleanly and some story elements seem like they needn't have been included in context with the ending. Perhaps that was done intentionally. The actors once again make up for it with subtle and strong portrayals.
Conclusion
This film is truly an achievement for all involved. Lovers of French cinema need to see this if they haven't already. The nature of the story is that of longing and the test of time, and as a result there are some slow moving parts. While this is not for the action junkie, the pacing does support the story and is in keeping with the theme. Well worth owning and watching, particularly for fans of Depardieu.
Definitely watch this movie soon.
Enjoy!
Summary of Changing Times
Can your first love be your last?Catherine Deneuve and G?rard Depardieu star in Andr? T?chin?'s (Wild Reeds, Les Voleurs) film about two former lovers reunited by fate. Antoine (Depardieu) has held a torch for his first love C?cile (Deneuve) for 30 years and arranges to be reunited with her in Morocco in the hopes of rekindling their love only to find that his advances are not welcomed.
"visually alive, quick-witted and full of heart" - Stephen Holden, The New York Times
On the surface, Changing Times is a love story about a couple that is reunited after decades apart. But unlike many films so desperate for a happy ending that the characters' development are sacrificed to reach such a goal, this picture concentrates on the bittersweet reality of who they are today. Catherine Deneuve and Gerard Depardieu reunite (for the first time since 1988's Strange Place for an Encounter) to portray Cecile, a radio hostess living in Morocco, and Antoine, an engineer who finds a project in Tangier in the hopes that he can find her and win her back. Their lives are now more complicated than when they first met. She is married to a Moroccan doctor who is unfaithful to her. And Antoine doesn't seem able to relinquish the memories of the Cecile he fell in love with, regardless of the fact that the woman standing before him today may actually be more compelling. The expressive actors take their time, revealing as much with their faces as their words. Directed and co-written by Andre Techine, Changing Times has a languid, exotic, and authentic feel. The one flaw is the inclusion of another subplot--that of Cecile's adult, bisexual son who hopes to rekindle a relationship with the love of his life--an ex-boyfriend. --Jae-Ha Kim
Art House & International DVD Video
DVD Video
- Action & Adventure
- African American Cinema
- Animation
- Anime & Manga
- Art House & International
- Classics
- Comedy
- Cult Movies
- Documentary
- Drama
- Educational
- Fitness & Yoga
- Gay & Lesbian
- Horror
- Kids & Family
- Military & War
- Music Video & Concerts
- Musicals & Performing Arts
- Mystery & Suspense
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Special Interests
- Sports
- Television
- Westerns
Movies most talked about in If you want to discover G?rard Depardieu (1948 - ) - 1st part.
The Man in the Iron MaskRelease date: 1998-08-12; DVD
Best price: $5.49
Price in other shops:
La Parola Amore EsisteKoch International; Release date: 2006-01-31; DVD
Best price: $9.82
Price in other shops:
The Count of Monte CristoKoch International; Release date: 2005-12-06; DVD
Best price: $15.15
Price in other shops:
The BridgeRelease date: 2001-03-13; DVD
Best price: $11.97
Price in other shops:
BalzacLions Gate; Release date: 2007-01-02; DVD
Best price: $5.55
Price in other shops:
![All the Love There Is ( Tutto l'amore che c'? ) ( Con tutto l'amore ) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.0 Import - Italy ] Image](/images/All-the-Love-There-Is-Tutto-lamore-che-c-Con-tutto-lamore-NON-USA-FORMAT-PAL-Reg-0-Import-Italy-B000F4T6RO-X.jpg)
All the Love There Is ( Tutto l'amore che c'? ) ( Con tutto l'amore ) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.0 Import - Italy ]DVD
Best price: $30.99
VatelDEPARDIEU,GERARD; Release date: 2001-08-07; DVD
Best price: $6.98
Price in other shops:
![Les Mis?rables [Region 2] Image](/images/Les-Mis-rables-Region-2-B00005NP20-X.jpg)
Les Mis?rables [Region 2]DVD
Best price: $29.98
The Envy of GodsPublished: 2001; DVD
Best price: $10.80
102 Dalmatians (Widescreen Edition)Disney; Release date: 2001-04-03; DVD
Best price: $25.95
Similar DVD Movies
La Chamade (Heartbeat)TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENT; Release date: 2004-02-10; DVD
Best price: $2.41
Price in other shops:
8 WomenUniversal; Release date: 2003-02-11; DVD
Best price: $6.43
Price in other shops:
Jean De Florette / Manon of the Spring (MGM World Films)TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENT; Release date: 2007-07-24; Published: 1987; DVD
Best price: $12.38
Price in other shops:
La Vie en Rose (Extended Version)Warner Brothers; Release date: 2007-11-13; DVD
Best price: $13.56
Price in other shops:
Vicky Cristina BarcelonaGenius; Release date: 2009-01-27; DVD
Best price: $8.43
Price in other shops:
Scene of the CrimeRelease date: 2007-09-04; DVD
Best price: $18.83
Price in other shops:
IndochineSony; Release date: 2000-03-21; DVD
Best price: $14.99
Price in other shops:
My Favorite SeasonRelease date: 1998-01-14; DVD
Best price: $2.59
Price in other shops:
Paris, Je T'Aime (Paris, I Love You)Paris; Release date: 2007-11-13; DVD
Best price: $4.25
Price in other shops:
Nearest To HeavenRelease date: 2005-02-15; DVD
Best price: $4.05
Price in other shops: